Never Let Me Go
by SlothyAstronaut
Summary: Kanaya and Rose embark on a cruise, one that may just change their lives forever.
1. It's Time

Never Let Me Go

By Slothy Astronaut

Chapter I: It's Time

It was a strange thing, their first official meeting. Rather awkward, in fact, to meet someone so fascinating in such a place as this. Kanaya had never been to the beach before, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying. The salty air was refreshing, and the sun's warmth was a welcome feeling, but watching the waves crash against the shore gave her chills. She turned, walking up a sandy hill, her sandals allowing the sand to brush past her feet. Reaching the top of the hill, she turned in every direction, trying to spot the person she was looking to meet. Kanaya scanned the beach for a few minutes, and then sighed, sitting down on top of the dune. Well, she was a bit early, she thought. She adjusted her wide-brimmed hat so that it covered her face, and brushed a little sand off the front of her skirt. She slowly began to doze off, the warmth of the sand and sun working its magic.

The sound of large amounts of sand shifting awoke her with a start, and she looked around quickly. She saw nobody on the dune, and looking up at the sun noticed it had only moved a short way across the sky. She must've just moved in her sleep, she thought. Kanaya got to her feet slowly, brushing the sand off of her skirt where she had sat in the sand. She turned around, and then saw the real source of the noise.

She saw a long furrow through the sand, as if someone had climbed the hill, then slipped and slid back down to the bottom. Looking at the bottom of the hill confirmed this theory. Rose Lalonde was sprawled out in the sand at the bottom of the dune. Kanaya hurried down the dune, careful not to fall herself. When she reached the bottom, she kneeled by Rose.

"Rose? Are you alright?" she asked, even as Rose opened her eyes and sat up.

Rose looked over at Kanaya with a face that Kanaya could only interpret as embarrassment.

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks. Just slipped is all," she said as she started to get up, shaking the sand off of herself as she did so.

Kanaya stood up too, with an amused look on her face.

"Well then, it's uh, a pleasure finally meeting you in person," she said slowly.

Rose nodded, with a little smile.

"Likewise. Are we still taking that cruise?" Rose asked.

Kanaya smiled, reaching into her bag and pulling out two tickets. Before their meeting, Rose had suggested Kanaya find some trip for them to go on, something to help them bond. Neither of them had ever taken a cruise before, so Kanaya figured it would be an interesting idea, and Rose agreed readily.

"Our bags are already aboard, but I decided to wait here for you instead of at the harbor. I'd never been to the beach before."

Rose was surprised. "Really? Well, we'll have to come back after the cruise."

Kanaya checked her wristwatch. Half past four, she observed. They had only an hour to get to the harbor and the ship.

"Rose, the ship leaves in an hour. Shall we go?" she asked.

Rose nodded. "Sure, I'm ready if you are."

And with that, they headed for the harbor.


	2. Come Sail Away

Chapter II: Come Sail Away

This ship is huge, Kanaya thought as she and Rose stepped aboard. Looking down, she saw the ship's name emblazoned in large white lettering. The Nadacca. Not a name she'd ever seen. Then again, there were a lot of things Kanaya hadn't seen before that day. She held her tickets and room keys in her hand, and after asking an attendant what direction to go in, she helped direct Rose, and together they moved through the crowd. They headed in through a set of doors, following a flight of stairs up to a long hallway. Kanaya checked the tickets again. Room 413. Rose found it first, the last door on the right side of the hallway. Handing Rose the key, Kanaya watched as she unlocked the door, revealing a large, two-bed room, complete with a table and chairs, television set and another door on the other side of the room that led out to a balcony. Their bags were already in the room, set down between the beds. Stepping inside, Kanaya felt a rush of cool air. She kicked off her sandals as Rose went out to see the balcony. Kanaya went over to her bags, opening them and tossing their contents onto one of the beds. She sorted her things carefully, picking up a small pile of shirts and dresses and hanging them up in a closet. Rose had left the balcony door open, and Kanaya could smell the amazing ocean air. She continued to unpack, placing things in drawers and the closet until her bags were empty. She tossed them into the closet, turning to look at Rose as she walked in, sliding the door shut behind her. There was a slight lurch as the ship began to move, leaving the harbor behind.

"Well, now that we're moving, why don't we go have a look around?" Rose suggested.

"Sure, I'll just get my sandals," Kanaya replied, slipping them on. She left her hat on the bed, and followed Rose out, locking the door as they left. She continued to follow Rose, weaving their way through small crowds of people. After several long minutes of wandering around the numerous hallways, they found the stern end of the deck. Rose rushed ahead of Kanaya, leaning over the railing to look at the propellers churning the water. Kanaya stepped up behind her, watching as the harbor got farther and farther away.

They stayed like that a few minutes, Kanaya watching the shore, Rose the propellers. As if breaking out of a trance, Rose slowly turned to look at Kanaya.

"Why don't we get some dinner? I'm famished."

Kanaya smiled. "Alright, if we can find the dining hall. I had no idea this ship would be so large!"

Rose laughed. "How big did you expect it to be? Most cruise ships are this big."

"I, I don't know, smaller than this!" Kanaya replied.

Rose grabbed Kanaya's hand.  
"Oh, never mind the size of it! Let's just go find the hall. Can't be that hard to find." She said quickly, pulling Kanaya along. Retracing their steps, they eventually ended up back at the boarding area of the ship. There was a map in a glass case, and Kanaya looked it over quickly.

"Rose," she started, "It's above decks, towards the center of the ship."

Rose looked down the deck, to where there was another set of rising structures. Still holding hands, the two of them headed towards the hall. When they entered, Kanaya was once again stunned by the sheer size of it all. The dining hall was massive, tables of every size placed in neat patterns around the sides. In the ceiling were three gigantic chandeliers, which cast light down on the entire room. In the center was a large, clear area that was what Kanaya guessed was a dance floor, as there was a stage right by it. As they took a few more steps in, a young troll, Kanaya guessed about ten sweeps or so, stopped them, dressed in a waiter's uniform.

"Good evening, madams," he started, "here for dinner, a glass of wine, anything at all?"

Rose smiled at the young man.

"Yes, my friend here and I would like dinner." she said.

The waiter nodded, picking up two menus and motioning for the two of them to follow him.

"Right this way, madams, if you please." He said as he started to walk toward one of the smaller tables. Placing the menus down, he pulled a lighter out and smoothly lit three candles that had been sitting on the table.

"Here we are, madams. Two seats right here, and I shall return in just a moment with some wine." He said, walking off to the kitchens. Rose sat down first, realizing only then that Kanaya was still holding her hand.

"Uh, Kanaya? Can I have my hand back now?" she asked, laughing.

Kanaya looked down, slowly letting go of Rose's hand. "Oh, sorry… I hadn't noticed." She began to blush ever so lightly. Truth was, she had known, and simply didn't really want to let go. It was nice, holding hands, as simple as it was. It seemed that they had only sat down when the young waiter returned with two glasses and a bottle of wine. He set the glasses down, then uncorked the bottle and filled each glass halfway.

"Do we know what we would like to eat, madams?" he asked cheerfully, setting the bottle down on the table.

Kanaya hadn't even looked at the menu. Rather, she had been looking around the room, and by around the room she meant at the girl sitting right across from her. The candlelight accented her features well, as if they could look any better. She felt herself blushing.

"No, we don't just yet. Why don't you surprise us?" Rose said calmly, seemingly oblivious to Kanaya's stare.

The waiter laughed. "As you wish, madam. Please, enjoy the wine; I picked it especially for you two ladies." He walked off to the kitchens again, leaving the two alone again. Rose picked up her glass, clinking it against Kanaya's to get her attention. Kanaya snapped out of her reverie, picking up her glass.

"To this cruise, and to us." Rose said.

"To us," Kanaya replied, clinking her glass against Rose's.

The evening seemed to pass quickly. They sipped their wine, and ate in silence after the young waiter delivered their meals. They didn't stay to chat, instead getting up shortly after finishing their plates, and leaving a generous tip behind. As they departed, they passed by the waiter.

"Ah, have a wonderful night, madams! Please, come back again!" he called out.

Kanaya smiled at him as she followed Rose out into the warm evening air. The sun was nearly gone, the last rays turning the water a golden orange. The deck was aglow with lights and people moving about. The two of them walked back to the room, and Kanaya unlocked it. Entering the room, she set her handbag down on her nightstand.

Kanaya yawned, looking over at Rose.

"Why don't we call it an early night? I'm beat," she said.

"Me too. We can see the rest of the ship tomorrow," Rose replied.

Rose went over to her suitcase, opening it and rummaging through the contents. Reaching into the closet, Kanaya found a set of pajamas, and she moved into the single restroom. Closing and locking the door, she proceeded to remove her skirt and shirt, gently folding them into a neat pile. She slipped on her pajamas, and wetting a towel, gently wiped off her lipstick and mascara. She brushed her hair down, looking in the mirror. Satisfied, she unlocked the door, only to step out and see Rose in only her underwear.

"Rose!" Kanaya yelped, blushing furiously. "What are you doing?!"

Rose looked over at Kanaya before slipping on a sleek black nightgown.

"What? I'm just getting ready for bed. What are you doing, sneaking up on me like that?" she said, smirking.

Kanaya looked away, still blushing. "I didn't sneak; you're the one out in the room!"

Rose continued to smirk as she walked past Kanaya into the bathroom.

"It's OUR room, remember? You do realize we'll just have to share the space, you might as well get used to seeing me half-naked quite often."

Kanaya just shook her head, moving to climb into her bed. She flicked off the lamp on her nightstand as she lifted the covers and got under them. Rose stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later, her short hair down and her face cleared of any makeup. She climbed into her own bed, turning off the light.

"Good night, Kanaya," she said, quickly drifting off.

"Night, Rose," Kanaya replied, but she didn't fall asleep so quickly. She stayed awake, turning on her side away from Rose. Her mind was racing. Was she feeling things? Feeling those feelings? For Rose? Perhaps…

Her thoughts were lost as she too started to fall asleep. The last thing that crossed her mind before she slipped into unconsciousness was the sight of Rose at the dinner table, the candles illuminating her beautiful features.


	3. Only If For A Night

Chapter III: Only If For A Night

Two days had passed since the ship had left harbor, but that time seemed to go by so quickly for Kanaya. She had spent that time well, exploring the rest of the ship with Rose. To her surprise, (and nearly everything was to her surprise) there was a nightclub, which Rose insisted they visit at least once. Kanaya nervously agreed, and on their third night aboard the Nadacca, they ventured down to the lower decks. Kanaya could hear music, and it got louder as they neared the club. A man in a dark suit stood at the entrance, but stepped to one side to allow them entrance. He looked them both up and down, and then nodded as if in approval at their short black dresses and heels.

"Have a nice time, ladies," he said, turning away to continue his watch.

The two walked past him into the club, looking around to see the bar, surrounded by tables on one side, the dance floor on the other.

"Kanaya, why don't you find us a table? I'll get drinks." Rose suggested, moving up to the bar.

"Alright," Kanaya replied, going to a set of booths in the corner of the club, as far away from the noise as possible. She picked one out, and sat down. Rose came over a moment later, holding two wine glasses. She handed one to Kanaya as she sat down on the other side of the table. She downed her glass almost immediately, watching as Kanaya took only a few sips before setting her glass down.

"Kanaya? Are you alright?"

Kanaya nodded absent-mindedly. There Rose was again, this time not in candlelight, but in neon. Her dress hugged her body, and Kanaya felt herself beginning to blush as she caught herself staring.

"Kanaya, are you going to drink that?" Rose asked, motioning to Kanaya's glass, which was still nearly full.

"What? Uh, no, go ahead," Kanaya said, snapping her attention away. Rose picked up the glass, downing it quickly. The music got quiet for a moment, and a voice came over the speakers.

"Alright, everybody! Got some slow songs for all you slow dancers out there, come on up!"

Rose grabbed Kanaya's hand.

"Come on, let's go dance." she said, standing up.

"Uh, okay?" Kanaya replied as she was pulled out of her seat and up onto the dance floor. Once they had maneuvered over to a spot on the floor that wasn't so crowded, Rose let go of Kanaya's hand, moving both hands up to hold Kanaya's shoulders. Kanaya blushed lightly as she put her own hands on Rose's waist. As the song started, slowly fading in, both of them began to sway, moving from side to side with the slow rhythm of the song. Blushing, Kanaya could feel her own heart beating, seemingly in time with the music, despite how flustered she felt. Rose looked up, meeting Kanaya's gaze. She saw that her face was the lightest shade of green, despite the dim neon lighting. How cute, she thought as she pulled herself closer to Kanaya, resting her head on Kanaya's chest. Kanaya blushed even more at this, moving her hands around Rose's waist to hold her. They had stopped moving their feet, only continuing to sway. As the song ended, Rose pulled away, looking back up at Kanaya.

"Shall we move off the floor? I'm not exactly a fast dancer," she said.

Kanaya nodded. "Sure, we can move."

Kanaya let go of Rose's waist, holding her hand as the two of them walked off the dance floor. Music began to blare again, and Rose pulled Kanaya right out of the club.

Kanaya seemed to be confused.

"What are we doing?" she asked, motioning back to the club's entrance. Rose just smiled.

"I've had enough of the club for tonight, if it's all right with you."

"Yes, that's alright. The music's too loud anyway." Kanaya replied, laughing a little.

The two made their way back up through the decks until they reached the main deck of the ship. They stood out for a moment, looking up at the night sky.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Rose asked, looking directly at the moon.

"Yeah, it is," Kanaya replied quickly. Not as beautiful as you, she thought, still blushing lightly.

They stood there a moment longer before walking back to their room. Kanaya once again unlocked and opened the door, kicking her heels off as she entered. Digging through her closet, she found her pajamas and began the long process of getting ready for bed. When she came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, Rose stepped in, already in her nightgown. Kanaya lifted her covers, and sat on the bed with her legs under the covers. She flicked off her light and leaned back as Rose stepped out of the bathroom. Without a word, Rose turned off her own light, and Kanaya could hear the rustling of bed sheets.

"Good night, Rose."

There was no reply, and Kanaya wondered if Rose had already fallen asleep. She closed her eyes, lying flat on her back. She heard a slight rustling noise, then what sounded like footsteps. She sat up, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound in the darkness. Before she could quite process what was happening, she felt someone suddenly climb on top of her.

"Rose?" she asked, right before she felt arms wrap around her shoulders, and felt lips brush against her own. Almost as if by instinct, she put her hands on Rose's waist and pulled her into the kiss. She felt her cheeks burning as Rose pushed her down flat, without breaking contact. They stayed like that a few moments before Rose finally pulled away.

"I, I just…" she started, "I just wanted to thank you for doing all this with me…"

She leaned back, resting on Kanaya's lap.

"You're welcome, Rose…" Kanaya replied after a moment, gently putting her arms around Rose.

"And… I know you've been watching me." she said, smiling.

Kanaya's cheeks felt like they were on fire.

"I um… I was just, uh," she stammered, unable to say anything genuinely coherent.

Rose just laughed.

"It's okay, really," she said, leaning down. "I've been doing the same thing to you when you weren't looking," she said as she gently kissed Kanaya again. She pulled away after a moment, shifting to lie on top of Kanaya, resting her head on her chest. Kanaya put her arms snugly around Rose, shifting the blankets to cover them both. Rose yawned softly, followed shortly thereafter by Kanaya.

"Good night, Kanaya." She said, closing her eyes.

"Night, Rose." Kanaya whispered in response.

After a few minutes, Kanaya could determine that Rose had fallen asleep, judging by her slow heartbeat and light breathing. Her own heart, however, was racing. Was this actually happening? Did Rose just… admit to having feelings? Of course, she must've, she was lying in Kanaya's bed, and they had just kissed, twice! She yawned again, disrupting her frenzied thoughts. There'd be time to think about such things in the morning, she tried to reason with herself. And with that, Kanaya closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.


	4. All This And Heaven Too

Chapter IV: All This And Heaven Too

When Kanaya opened her eyes, it was to the sight of Rose asleep on her chest. She didn't want to wake her, so she instead tried to adjust her pillow so it'd be more comfortable. She must have moved too quickly, she thought as Rose woke up with a slight start.

"Oh, sorry, Rose," Kanaya whispered.

"That's okay," Rose replied, slowly shifting herself off of Kanaya.

The room was dark, even though it was about seven in the morning. Getting up and opening the balcony blinds, Kanaya saw why. The sky was dark, and rain droplets pitter-pattered onto the balcony. She saw a flash of lightning off in the distance, followed by the boom of thunder. Closing the blinds, she turned back to Rose, who was sitting on the bed cross-legged.

"Hey, Rose? It looks pretty nasty out there." Kanaya said, sitting down next to her.

"Why don't we stay in then? We can get room service, and watch movies or something."

Kanaya shrugged. "Sure," she said after a moment. "I'll call them then."

She picked up the phone from her nightstand, and after locating the contact list, slowly tapped in the number for room service.

"Good morning, how may we be of assistance?" the voice on the other end of the line answered.

"Good morning, we'd like to order breakfast, I suppose." Kanaya replied.

"Very good, madam, what would you like?"

Kanaya looked over at Rose, who just shrugged. "I don't know, whatever."

"Just surprise me. Two of us, room 413." Kanaya said into the receiver. There was a short pause before the voice on the other end was heard.

"Very good, madam, a surprise it is. We'll be there shortly." There was a click as the call was disconnected. Kanaya set the phone down, turning to Rose. She was pulling a shirt and shorts out of her closet, and she stepped into the bathroom a moment later. Kanaya followed suit, removing her pajamas. She slid on her shorts and had just finished pulling her shirt down over her head when Rose exited the bathroom. She climbed onto her own bed, patting her hand on it.

"Might as well sit down while we wait."

Kanaya sat down on the bed, and she put one arm around Rose as she leaned against her. Picking up the remote, Rose turned on the TV, proceeding to flip through movie channels. She found a movie that had only just started, the title credits still playing. Almost as if on cue, the person Kanaya assumed was the main character walked onscreen, and there was a knock on their door. Kanaya got up, walking over to the door and opening it. There was a small cart with two trays, but she  
looked at the man who had brought it.  
"Well, hello again, madam!" the young waiter beamed, his hands on the cart.  
"Good morning," Kanaya replied, stepping back to let him in, flicking on the room light as she did so. He pushed the cart over to the table, setting the trays down on it.  
"Here we are, madams, a surprise again!" He said to both of them, removing the tray covers and setting them back on the tray. He set down two sets of silverware, and pulled a carefully wrapped bottle on the table as well.  
"What's this? We didn't order a bottle of wine." Kanaya asked, puzzled.  
He froze up for a moment before turning to them.  
"I know. It's... A gift for you two good madams."  
"For what?" Kanaya inquired.  
"Well, madams, I wanted to thank you for helping me out. You see, I don't exactly make much, but I was saving up for something of great importance to myself, and the tip you left was just enough." He began to tear up, smiling. "And that is why I got you this bottle of wine, and would like to invite both of you to my wedding this evening."

"But… how did you find out it was us?" Kanaya asked, puzzled.

"Well, when you said you wanted a surprise, I suspected it might be you." He smiled, laughing.  
Kanaya appeared to be stunned. Rose got up, moving to stand next to her.  
"We'd be honored to attend, thank you." Rose said, speaking for Kanaya, who seemed to have lost her voice.  
He wiped his eyes with his sleeve.  
"You don't know how much this means to me, madams. Thank you so much." He stepped forward, lightly hugging them both. After a moment, he stepped back, smiling.  
"My name's Jameson, and you two lovely madams are?"

"My name is Rose, and this is Kanaya," Rose replied, nudging Kanaya with her elbow.

He held out his hand, shaking Rose's first, then Kanaya's.

"Well, Rose and Kanaya," he started, "It's a pleasure to formally meet you."

He looked over at the two plates, then to the two women again.

"I won't keep you from your breakfast, then." He laughed, "The ceremony starts at five-thirty in the chapel, it'd mean a lot to me if you could make it. The captain himself shall be there."

"We'll be there." Rose said, unconsciously reaching down to grasp Kanaya's hand, and Kanaya squeezed back in response.

Jameson grinned as he proceeded to pull the cart out of the room.

"Very good, madams! Thank you, and please, enjoy your breakfast!" he said cheerfully, before closing the door. Kanaya watched the door for a moment, listening to the sound of the cart wheeling away, before turning to the two trays of food. Scrambled eggs and toast, she observed. Nothing fancy, but it smelled good. She sat down, releasing Rose's hand as she did so. She picked up her fork, and started eating. Rose sat down next to her, doing the same.

"Well, that was a lovely surprise, wasn't it?" Rose asked, looking up from her plate after a minute or so.

Kanaya nodded, smiling.

"Indeed it was. He seems like a pleasant young man."

Kanaya finished her plate quickly, wiping her mouth with a napkin and standing. She stepped over to her closet, pulling out several articles of clothing. Rose kept eating, watching her.

"What are you doing? We've got all day."

Kanaya didn't look over as she continued to remove dresses, skirts and the like.

"I want to be prepared early, so there's no rush to get there. It'll take us an hour just to find the chapel, knowing this ship."

Rose shrugged, eating another forkful of scrambled egg.

"Alright, if you insist."

Kanaya turned around.

"I do insist! Weddings are a thing to be well-prepared for; I don't intend to go looking like I was in a hurry."

Rose laughed, finishing off her plate and wiping her mouth. She got up, walking over to where Kanaya stood. She gently grasped Kanaya's hands with her own, smiling.

"I'm sure it can wait a moment, can't it?" she asked, pulling Kanaya close. Kanaya blushed lightly, nodding.

"I suppose it can wait…" she replied, giving a mock sigh, putting her arms around Rose lovingly.

Rose looked up at Kanaya, her cheeks a light pink.

"Kanaya, about last night…" she started, and Kanaya looked her in the eyes.

"Yes?" Kanaya replied.

"Thank you," Rose whispered, before putting one hand on Kanaya's neck, pulling her down to kiss her softly. Kanaya leaned down, pressing her lips to Rose's, blushing deeply. In that moment, all her suspicions were confirmed, and her heart skipped a beat. She felt the warmth from Rose's kiss, and held her close. After a few more moments, Rose pulled away, smiling.

"You really are quite wonderful, Kanaya."

"You are too, Rose." Kanaya replied after a few moments spent trying to find her voice.

Rose laughed, resting her head on Kanaya's chest.

"I love it when you get all flustered. It's cute."

Kanaya turned a deep green almost instantly.

"I-I uh…" Kanaya stammered, unable to form any sort of coherent sentence.

"It's alright, you don't have to say anything. Let's just get ready for that wedding, alright?"

Kanaya nodded, letting go of Rose. Turning to the bed and all the clothes that were laid out, she began to work her magic.


End file.
